Chapter 11 – The Moment of Truth
Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt, if I did the series would never have ended and Mai and Naru would have little paranormal grandbabies for Martin and Luella running around by now.
Author's Note: Every time I start typing something off case, it just takes on a life of its own. Last chapter, that whole section with John wasn't planned at all, it just came out… pretty much the same for the end of this chapter.
Not yet edited.
The next afternoon Mai found herself leaving her high school earlier than anticipated; having finished all of her testing earlier than the time she was allotted. Laughing to herself, she imagined the principal's shocked face at the beginning of the oral portion of her English assessment. In order to insure that the tests were all administered properly there were two proctors for each portion, and since the principal himself specialized in teaching the subject of English, he was her second proctor. Mai really wished she had a camera when he began asking her questions on a grade school English level and she responded in perfectly flawless and sophisticated English in turn. It is safe to say that she passed that test with flying colors, and her principal told her that he would have her other results rushed for his own curiosity if nothing else. She is so amused that she is still giggling lightly as she makes her way to the base, where she finds Naru, and to her surprise Lin as well.
"Lin!" She squealed in English and ran up to him grabbing him for a big hug, her exhaustion from testing forgotten for the moment. "Does that mean everything is taken care of regarding Gene's body?" She continued to ask with a huge smile on her face, before releasing Lin to cross over to Naru and give him his own excited hug.
Lin, still unsure how to take Taniyama-san's exuberance gave her a tiny smile in return, and admitted, "Yes, we recovered Gene from the Lake, right where you said he would be. I have already made some arrangements to have him prepared for departure for England on Friday evening. The police were not happy with the haste, but once we cited the facts that it took us employing a psychic to discover him when they were not even looking anymore, they had no leg left to stand on." He shook his head in dismay, thoroughly annoyed with the Japanese police system, and went on, "I am back to help close the case here though, I take it that your initial hypotheses have held true?"
Noll glanced at Lin's tall form and nodded before stating, "They have been very true to the vision we experienced thus far. We even attempted to stop Hara-san from falling through the second floor wall to no avail; she was too ogling me to listen to the warnings we tried to impart to everyone about the structure's instability," leaning into Mai's side he groans in annoyance as he recalls the way the other medium tried to get him alone just the day before and shakes his head before continuing, "There is no evidence of any spirit activity here other than Eugene, but we do have a student with untrained PK. We performed the autosuggestion experiment yesterday and all the participants should be arriving soon, so we need to revert back to speaking in Japanese."
No sooner than Oliver had uttered those words like a summoning spell, than the rest of the spiritualists and students from Mai's high school started to trickle into the base room. The last to arrive were Kuroda, Michiru and Keiko since they were obliged to wait until the end of the school day had passed, and were not excused from the end of the day like Mai had been. Once the last participant was in place, Naru directed everyone to follow him to the lab room that he, Mai and John had boarded up the day before, and began to question the other two, "Look at the equipment, please. Is the paper with your signatures on them intact?" Lin was carrying a handheld recording device and directed it at John and Mai while they each inspected the boards sealing the room. "Yes, it's the same as yesterday," John answered and Mai nodded in agreement.
Naru asked them both to take a close look at the signatures on the seal and asked, "What about the signatures on the door? Is it your handwriting?" When both Mai and John nodded in the affirmative again, Naru nodded, then proceeded to tear down the planks they had hammered onto the door yesterday while everyone else looked on with curious eyes. Naru entered the lab room, directing everyone's stares to the empty neon circle painted in chalk in the middle of the room. There should have been an old wooden chair within the circle but instead, the chair was beside the window. "Naru, the chair moved," John confirmed and looked over at the young ghost hunter, who said "Yes it did," with a satisfied smirk and left the room to head back to base with everyone following behind like lemmings towards the sea.
Once arriving at the base, Mai heads to the bank of monitors pulling up the footage from the lab room's special motion activated camera, and hit play. Shown on the screen at 0239 A.M. the chair jerked slightly once, and then heavily careening out of the circle surrounding it, continued flying across empty space until the windowsill at the edge of the room stopped its movement, toppling it onto its side. She smiled at them all and said, "This is our poltergeist. If you look at the temperature readings from the room at the same time, they were steady, but the thermography display on the camera shows an influx of heat centered directly on the chair whilst it moved. Considering the chair moved exactly as instructed by the autosuggestion experiment Naru and I activated in the principal's office yesterday it is safe to assume that one of the participants in that study is the person with untrained psychokinesis." Mai gave everyone in the room a steady look, and nodded at Naru for him to continue her train of thought.
"As Mai said, we placed a suggestion with everyone yesterday that the chair in the lab room would move on its own in the middle of the night, and the three of us sealed the room to prevent tampering from any outside sources. Now that we have scientific proof from the experiment we both believe it is safe to say that the poltergeist activity will cease in this area, isn't that correct Kuroda," he asked quietly, glancing at the young class rep as she paled considerably.
"N..no…no! That's not possible," Kuroda said vehemently, only to have Mai cross the room to take her hand gently, and say, "Kuroda-san, there are only five of us in this room who fit the age and gender criteria for this type of poltergeist as classified by Tisane. Let's break this down scientifically for everyone present, and you will see why you are the best candidate at this time, ok?" When Kuroda nodded stiffly, Mai rubbed her hand comfortingly and continued, "Two of us in the room are already known to be psychic. Masako Hara and myself are both mediums, although of different types, and while my gift far excess just being a medium I cannot myself produce PK, although I can enhance another's PK given the correct steps. But being familiar with the nuances of PK means it is easier for me to recognize when someone else is capable of it… and in fact my touch is helping to keep yours calm at the moment isn't it?"
Not waiting for a reply from the nervous girl holding her hand Mai continues again, "Then there is Michiru and Keiko; both girls are wonderfully sympathetic and kind to a fault, but neither has ever show any proclivity for the paranormal, nor were they here at the old schoolhouse when the poltergeist activity occurred, leaving only you Kuroda-san to fit all that criteria." At this last proclamation Mai urges the other girl to sit in one of the chairs in front of the monitors, and offers her last comments regarding Kuroda's gift for the moment. "Kuroda-san, I told you that once we conducted the test yesterday and had results I would put you in touch with someone who will help train you, didn't I?" When the other girl nodded, Mai said, "Good, Naru and I have already contacted Igarashi-sensei of the Igarashi Academy for Psychic Awareness, and she has agreed to take you on as an apprentice. I will be forwarding these test results to her today, and if you will forward me your schedule, I will arrange with her your introduction so you can begin. I know Kuroda-san that you wanted to be a medium, but I would like you to keep in mind I developed my medium skills later, after my astral walking and visions, so if you work hard, who knows what other gifts you might discover."
When Mai finishes, the entire room is silent, until Bou-san let out a low whistle, "Jou-chan, do you know how hard it is to get apprentice at IAPA, much less with Igarashi-sensei herself? Is that who trained you?" Mai shook her head slowly, and said, "All in due time, Nosy Monk."
Kuroda, ironically still as pale as if she had seen a ghost, nodded her head at Mai, and said, "I understand Taniyama-sama, I am very sorry for the trouble I have caused. You were right when you said I would be tired after you conducted your test, so is it ok if I go home now?" Mai nodded kindly in response to Kuroda's question and turned to her other schoolmates to ask, "Could you guys please help Kuroda-san get home, and continue to support her through this process?" Keiko and Michiru beamed excitedly at being able to take part in solving the case at the schoolhouse, and even announced to everyone in the room how cool it was they could help Kuroda-san hone her skills before assisting the other girl home.
This left just the spiritualists alone in the base room, and after a few tense moments, Ayako spoke, "So all of it was the schoolgirl there?" Naru and Mai both shook their heads in unison, and Oliver replied, "Unfortunately, not. Land subsidence is the main culprit of most of the issues here, and Kuroda-san's addition only came into play after she realized that losing this building could hinder her reputation as a psychic at school, and in turn cause her to fade further into the background. Kuroda-san just needed to be acknowledged, and since there will be no repeat performance of her poltergeist here, and she will be getting training, I see no reason we should inform the principal she was involved and invoke possible ostracism, do you?" He looked over at the others, as if daring them to disagree, before he went on, "Now that we all know what is actually causing the issues here, I do have a suggestion."
Bou-san looks at Naru closely, and says, "I'm all ears, just who do you suggest takes credit for clearing the building?" Naru smirks as the monk falls right into his plan and says, "We all do. We tell them it was a joint effort, and that everyone here played a part in making sure that there were no spiritual inhabitants lingering in the building. After all it is true, there will be no spirits here after we go, even spirit guides," he stated quietly and the rest of the spiritualists looked at one another and slowly each nodded their heads in agreement.
"Excellent! Now that this part is taken care of I have a proposal for all of you," he said while he opened a slim black folder, that no one had noticed up until that point. Inside the folder were several copies of documents that he passed out to every person not already on the SPR payroll, and he then explained, "Here I have a non-disclosure agreement I would like to offer for all of you to sign. I believe that this group has a wide-ranging assortment of skills that complement one another well on future cases. The NDA I am offering for you to sign, protects all proprietary information regarding SPR, and those employed by it and any parent or subsidiary companies for the entirety of our working relationship. As I explained to some of you previously, Mai is pre-cognitive and is aware there is someone in the near future who will attempt blackmail an agent of SPR with some sensitive information, and this is why we are taking precautions with any new business partnerships. By offering the same legal document to every new possible partner, contractor or employee we have hope that we can protect the good work that it is possible for us all to do at SPR." He turned to the group and instead of his usual smirk, gave them an actual honest smile in hopes that it would convince them of his sincerity.
Masako Hara frowned acerbically when she was handed an air tight legal document that would halt her attempt to use Oliver's identity convince him to follow her plans for a personal relationship with him, and asked from behind the sleeve of her flowered kimono, "What if we decline to sign such a document. After all, I am the celebrity here and I have no need to blackmail anyone," her haughty expression only partially revealed as she was still hiding behind her sleeve.
Mai moved to take the documents away from Masako as she said, "There is no worry, if you decide not to sign the agreement, you will be summarily dismissed from the rest of this discussion. Any and all information we will reveal will still be covered by the refuted NDA as we have the option of signing it on camera, and if a party who declined our offer found out proprietary information on their own and released it to the public the legal actions would be swift and crippling. Anyway Masako, should you decide not to sign, it will be no problem for SPR, as we already have a perfect medium on payroll, me as you all know," Mai said with a bright smile and as she went to finalize removing the document Masako snatched it back out of Mai's hand and said, "An amateur such as you could never hold a candle to a true professional like me. I did not say I wouldn't sign it, I just wanted to know what would happen to them when they didn't?" she said pointing at the other spiritualists rudely.
John took that opportunity to turn to Takigawa who was standing beside him in the base and ask, "Say mate, I need a witness to sign this, would you be so kind?" When the monk nodded, John signed the document with a flourish and offered it to the other man to witness for him. Taking their cues from the blonde priest, the other spiritualists, with the exception of Masako all signed quickly and acted as witnesses for one another. When the last occupant of the room still glaring down at her legal document, Naru said, "If you need to think about it, please do. As Mai said, we are not in need of a medium, so whether you sign or not will not hinder SPR in the slightest. However, we will need you to vacate the premises so we can conduct private conversation about some joint projects." The raven-haired ghost hunter turned away from Masako in dismissal, and she hastily called out, "Wait! I will sign, I was just curious after all," she said believing that this document would make no difference in her ability to capture this interest, and smirked in triumph as she signed, leaving the young priest to witness for her.
Lin gathered all of the signed documents, along with the physical copy of the recording they captured of everyone signing and locked them in his briefcase, then turned to Naru and nodded for him to proceed.
"First I would like to thank you all for joining us on this journey, I am aware that as of yet most of us are still unfamiliar with one another, but I would like to take steps to remedy that," Naru said and then indicated Lin, "This is Koujo Lin, he is currently my assistant, bodyguard, and guardian any time while I am in Japan, as I am still a minor here. Lin is also an extremely talented Omnyoji, and if there are any questions about the procedures SPR follows, he is an expert, and literally wrote the manual. On my other side, you will find Mai Taniyama, who you have all already been working with on this case." He patted Mai on her head and went on to explain, "In the past several days, you have witnessed Mai's skills as a paranormal investigator, as well as my assistant. The skills she has been unable to showcase on this case, however; are many. She is as we stated before, a perfect medium, able to channel spirits while they speak in their own natural language and not her preferred one. She is also an astral walker, with the ability to transmit her spirit form visually, and take with her accompanying objects if necessary. Then there are her dreams, and post cognitive and pre-cognitive visions, not to mention the new skill she is perfecting of mentally projecting said visions. She has also been known to use some Taoist, Wiccan, Buddhist and Shinto rituals for various reasons, should a spirit be unable to be cleansed. Am I forgetting anything Mai?" He asked the petite ginger-haired girl, who thinks for a moment then nods.
"Actually yes, but that ties into your gifts. I think before we actually demonstrate that we should catalog the spiritual gifts of the others to be sure we are not leaving anything out. Ayako, according to my visions you are actually a very effective exorcist for peacefully cleansing spirits as long as there are healthy, living trees around, right?" Mai smiled kindly at the miko, who nodded in shock.
"Yes, that's right! I never really tell anyone at first, because they will think I am just making excuses," she enthused, looking over at Mai with a newfound respect. "Even though I grew up in a family of doctors, we had this gorgeous ancient tree at our home, and the spirit in the tree taught me everything I know." Ayako smiled for the first time, truly at ease with her new co-workers.
Naru continued where Mai left off, "Father Brown, you are an extraordinarily skilled exorcist, especially for being so young. Your empathy and your ability to and faith in your Lord make you a powerful champion to bring peace to restless souls. Please let us know if you need any help, or clarification of the vision Mai showed you last night," he said with conspiratorial look at the priest before moving on to Masako Hara. "Hara-san, you are one of the most renowned mediums in Japan. You and Mai are different types of mediums, so while your skills are necessary, it is nice to be able to consult with both a perfect medium and an ESP medium on the same case. From what I know of your record, you have been quite successful in assisting many spirits pass on without any use of forceful exorcisms," he said before glancing back at Mai to finish with the monk.
'Nosy, Nosy Monk-san," Mai smiled at him and went on, "So, you Bou-san are a very skilled and knowledgeable apostate," she gave him a sly wink and continued, "I know that you are also a bassist in a very popular indie band, and the only reason you left the family temple was because he did not allow you to keep music up there. I also know you are a very hardcore fanboy of a certain scientist… but you basically admitted that part to us already by quoting part of his first treatise," she giggled and nudged Naru while Takigawa stared at her quizzically.
Naru, taking his cue, walked in front of the monk, and bowed saying, "It is a pleasure to meet such a knowledgeable and talented fan. For reasons I will endeavour to explain I have previously introduced myself as Kazuya Shibuya, but I am afraid that is not the moniker I am best known by. My true name is Dr. Oliver Davis, and it is my pleasure to finally offer all of you that information." Noll looked up from his formal bow and glanced at the looks on the faces of his future friends that did not already know his identity.
Ayako looked thoughtful, as if she was trying to remember how she knew that name; Masako looked like she had just swallowed a bug if the sour expression on her face was any indication, and Takigawa was just staring at the three SPR members in disbelief. Mai giggled at his expression and said, "Oh Nosy Monk, I told you all things would be revealed didn't I?" as she patted him gently on the back before saying, "Breathe in softly through your nose, and exhale through your mouth on the count of three. Come on Bou-san, you're the professional monk, here I shouldn't need to teach you to breathe," before she looked over at Naru and said, "Well, yep, we totally broke our monk."
'No way! Dr. Davis isn't some kid barely able to shave!" Monk rasped out, his breathing still unsteady as he gawked openly at Naru. Naru shook his head slowly and said, "Well, lets look at this objectively? Shibuya Psychic Research is a subsidiary of Britain's Society for Psychical research. We named both SPR, but with my reputation I needed to be in Japan without alerting others to my presence so that was as far of a connective name we decided we could allow." He sighed heavily before continuing, "I came to Japan for personal reasons. Some of you may have discerned by now that my elder brother acts as Mai's spirit guide. What we had not revealed before now is that he is indeed my elder twin brother, perfect medium Eugene Davis, and he disappeared here in Japan on a research trip. I accidentally uncovered his demise through the use of psychometry when I went to borrow an item from his room at our manor in England. I have been here in Japan attempting to locate where his murderer left his body, and as of last night we have finally found him and will be returning with him for a short period to England to lay him to rest." He let out a long, slow breathe, the actual recounting of his brother's death taking a greater toll on Naru that he thought it would.
Mai, sensing how brittle Noll's nerves were becoming, interjected herself into his explanation to allow him to calm himself down, and said, "Thankfully, now that we have found Gene there isn't such a large reason to keep Oliver's a complete secret from those we would like to call friends, but we do still need to be careful, since our primary goal here when we return to Japan will be for research, and having his identity revealed could put a huge damper on legitimate research opportunities. After working so closely with all of you this week, we decided that it would suit our best interests to have full open disclosure, especially with Bou-san being so interested in the methods we use during paranormal investigations." She smiled openly at them all, and then said, "Is there anything we could offer as a show of good faith to convince you of our intentions?"
Masako spoke up, her annoyance still apparent in her tone of voice, "I, for one, would like an actual demonstration that you really are a medium. I find that information highly suspect, especially considering your charity case background," the other medium smirked behind her sleeve.
Mai blinked in confusion, "Me? You want a demonstration from me, and not from Lin or Oliver? That is definitely a new one," she remarked with a laugh, but then nodded and said, "Actually, I did promise to introduce a couple of you to my onii-san at the end of the case didn't I?" When Ayako and Monk both nodded she laughed and said, "Alright, here goes nothing."
Mai pulled a chair out of from in front of the monitors and swiftly managed to put herself into a meditative state. A soft blue glow seemed to emit from Mai's form momentarily, and when she looks up at those in front of her, her countenance has completely altered. There seemed to be a more masculine cast to her features that mimicked those of Naru's and when she opened her mouth to speak, the same different voice that John had heard the night before emitted from Mai in a tone so similar to that of Naru it was uncanny. "Two times in as many days huh?" the new more masculine voice joked in perfect English. At the blank stares of several of the room's occupants he gasps in realization and switched to Japanese, "Oh, oops! Sorry, my apologies. I am used to talking with Noll and Mai in English. You too Father Brown, nice to see you again so soon! So, guys, what are we up to? You finally finish this bogus case and get to the big reveal of my little brother as the uber famous and talented Oliver Davis? Shh Mai, I promise I'm being careful…. Hey dinner was so delish last night, got any snacks? Mai is gonna need the energy after I depart anyway, unless we want Noll carrying her back home again. Oh, by the way Lin! I missed you, but your shiki visit me when I'm awake sometimes, so that's fun…"
Tapping a rhythmic tempo with his borrowed hands on the edge of his chair, Gene offers his audience a kind and gentle smile when Naru waves a granola in front of his temporary body, and Eugene snags it excitedly before saying, "Noll, seriously, would it kill you to give me chocolate or something?" before rolling his eyes and addressing the others, "So, as much as I like being awake and meeting new people," he turned to Ayako and gave her a saucy wink, "Is there anything you need to know, coz if not I really need to rest up for my big trip home this weekend! I want to have lots of energy so Mai can help me reassure Mum and Dad I'm ok, and that Oliver will be ok without me now. He has met all of you, and I know you will all be wonderful friends and family in the future!" When no one admitted they actually had any real questions for him yet, he smiled at them once more, a gentle kindness radiating from his eyes before he closed them and leant back against the chair to allow Mai to return to control.
Opening her eyes slowly to lights that seemed overly bright, even though she knew the base was on the dim side, Mai made a face as the taste of granola registered in her mouth and she complained, "Ugh Genie I swear if you eat every time I channel you, I will never fit in that dress Luella picks out!" She then turned to the rest of her friends, including Masako, who were staring at her in awe and said, "How was that?" She turned her face so only Oliver and Lin could see it before winking at them and offering, "That was my demo, how about a real demo though, that makes use of my last unknown skill? You good to play hero Noll?" She asked him and when he nodded, she stood up, swaying slightly before catching herself, and at his worried glance she told Oliver, "No need to worry, I just jumped up too fast."
Oliver looked apologetic and said, "We did not arrange for a large block of metal to play with, but I have a new trick that Mai and I discovered the other day… and Lin it is new for you too," he pulled Mai close, into a tight embrace as he explained to the group, "My PK, while being very effective if used correctly, is also life threatening if I use it alone. When Eugene was alive, he acted as my buffer, and amplifier all at once and allowed me to use the gifts I posses without fearing for my life. When he died I thought my ability died with him, but I was wrong. Mai's powers function much the same as Gene's did in conjunction to my PK, and with her presence I can not only use them as I did with my twin, but also use them easier and more effectively," and as he finished his sentence both he and the petite cinnamon eyed girl in his arms floated effortlessly off the ground to levitate in front of them and both teenagers smiled euphorically at the other in their arms.
"Noll! Wha..what are you doing? Are you sure this is safe?" Lin asked, sending two of his shiki out to feel for an excess of energy, and when they reported nothing amiss, he relaxed slightly as he watched his ward levitate. Naru grinned mischievously at Lin in a way that reminded him so much of the troublemaking looks he used to receive from Gene that his heart ached, before Naru said to him, "Don't worry Lin, promise this is not the first time we have attempted this. We even caught it on video, but I had to promise Mai I would keep that under wraps… for reasons I cannot reveal right now either," he finished quickly as Mai pinched him on the arm, her face bright red. Oliver, looked over at Takigawa and asked, "Do I pass muster? I can rustle up an aluminum block if I need to when we return to Japan in a month or so."
Ayako cut in, "A month! You're taking Mai out of school for a month?! Mai, I know you said we should mind our own business, but how can you leave school for an entire month?" the priestess asked Mai in concern.
Mai tapped Noll's shoulder indicating that they should descend, and when their feet met the ground Mai bounded over to Ayako and hugged her tightly, "Don't worry Ayako, I finished all of my exit exams today, and I should have the results by the time we leave for England on Friday evening. While there, I will talk with Martin, Naru's father about enrolling at Cambridge immediately in the distance learning program so that I can get my undergrad degree out of the way as quickly as possible," she grinned at Ayako, and said "Like you, Lin and Oliver I plan to earn some advanced degrees at a young age. I just plan to get my doctorate in parapsychology from Cambridge, like Naru. We do plan for me to continue in the future as his research partner amongst everything else." Still hugging Ayako, Mai goes on to say, "How about Thursday or Friday morning, I borrow Naru's card and you and I can go shopping to buy a few essentials I will need to travel abroad," she said offering Ayako a genuine smile, and then turning to Masako, "You are more than welcome to join us also if you would like Masako, we could make it a real psychic girl's day out."
Masako, who was still seething with jealousy after seeing the spectacle of her Oliver Davis floating through the air with his annoying assistant, nearly missed the invitation given to her by the same assistant she was currently cursing in her head. Shaking her head when she realized they were speaking to her, Masako gracefully declined the offer, hoping that she did not appear in a bad light before the man of her dreams but just unable to agree to spend time with either of those annoying women without cause.
Oliver, Lin and Mai then spent the next several minutes exchanging information with all of their new friends, and Noll promised that once he presented the solution for the case to the principal in the morning, that he would be certain to contact them each with their share of payment for the job. "I appreciate the time, and understanding you have each shown us regarding my true identity, and our true mission here in Japan. I look forward to working with each of you in the future, and we will keep in touch while abroad should any cases come to light that we can work together upon our return," Oliver said with another bow, then continued, "I do fear that the three of us need to pack the base up, and return home for the evening, so that I can contact my parents regarding our travel plans this weekend. If you would excuse us?"
During his speech, Lin stared aghast at Oliver's use of words and actual manners. He was pleased to find that each different surprise he was treated to that afternoon was of the positive variety. He easily recognized his other student when Mai channeled him so expertly, and to watch Oliver use his powers so openly without any trace of fear or exhaustion nearly drove the taciturn man to tears. And now Oliver was behaving so maturely that for the first time Lin believed that the vision the two teenagers told him truly did affect their mental and emotional growth. At this point, he was itching to share everything with Madoka, but he knew that Noll's threat against his laptop was not idle. Sighing in consternation, he silently worked beside Oliver and Mai to remove any trace of their presence from the old schoolhouse, and once all of their equipment was packed into the van to return to the office in the morning, they made their way back to the hotel so Naru could call his parents with a long-awaited update.
With all three exhausted from another long day, they decided to order some room service, and a silent Mai and Lin would listen to Naru's conversation on speakerphone while they waited for dinner that night. As Oliver waited for the connection to his parent's home telephone, Mai presented both men in the seating area with their preferred tea blends until an older feminine voice answered the other end of the line.
"Noll, honey is that you?" they heard Luella ask, and Naru cleared this throat gently before answering, "Yes, Mum, it's me. Is Dad there too?" They could all hear Luella calling for Martin to pick up the extension of the phone in his study, since their son was on the phone before she returned the handset to her mouth and when they could hear Martin picking up the other extension she asked, "Twice in less than a week, Nolly, is everything alright?"
"Yes, Mum, everything is wonderful. I'm bringing Gene home this weekend, just like I told you on the last call I would," and a shocked gasp can be heard through the phone line along with a muffled sob. Oliver went on speaking gently, "We finished the case today, and I will present the solution to our client in the morning. Our new employee, Taniyama, has completed their necessary schoolwork to take the time off and join us, and I have heard from the law firm I hired to secure their passport, that it will be ready by Friday morning. Lin has also made all the arrangements to transport Gene home with us on a flight this Friday evening, so we shall arrive sometime Saturday afternoon." Noll finished in a single exhale of his breath as both parents were silently crying on the other end.
There was a soft knock on the door of the suite, signaling to the occupants that room service had arrived, and Lin went to retrieve their dinner while Mai quietly hugged her fiancé to comfort him as he spoke with his parents. Martin broke his silence and asked his son, "Are you sure it's a good idea to bring a stranger along with you for this trip? I don't think that any of us will be comfortable entertaining anyone during this time."
"Dad, I know it seems like an unreasonable request, but Taniyama has successfully channeled Gene's spirit twice in the last two days, and it felt like he was in the room with me each time. I understand your worry, but I think that we all need to talk together at least one last time. Me, you and Gene, and I promise that I trust this medium completely. If you're still worried you can ask Lin, since he was there today when we talked to Gene, but I promise you I would not ask for this if I did not think it would ease your hearts." Oliver smiled gratefully at Mai as she stroked his dark hair tenderly to soothe him while he tried to assuage his parent's fears and he quietly resumed speaking, his voice soft and only just loud enough for Martin and Luella to hear through the connection, "I know I'm not the easiest son, and I know Gene I the one who initially attracted you to us, but I swear if it was not for the two of you, neither Gene nor I would have flourished and became the people you saw that we could be. I know I cannot replace Eugene, nor would I try to, but you deserve the chance to share your love with him at least once more. Taniyama also being an orphan understands his need to communicate with you and unreservedly offers you the chance any time you want until such a time Gene moves on."
Wrapping her arms tightly around Naru, Mai hugs him tears streaming down her face as she can feel the pure desolation the man she loves is feeling as he tries desperately to give some of the same unconditional love the twins had received from their parents over the years back to them. They can hear Martin, now in the same room as Luella, consoling her tenderly as the twin's mother finally began to process her eldest son's death. The sobs of his mother finally lessening as Luella's breathing slowed and she said to Oliver, in such a fragile voice that he almost broke down in tears himself, "Nolly, you and your brother are our heart, no matter where either of you are in the world, or in the afterlife we love you both more than any words I could say could ever tell you," her sweet voice breaking on the last word and she sniffled before continuing, "Stranger or not, we can adopt Mr. Taniyama if he needs a family too Noll, he helped bring our other baby back to us, and he is now our family."
Smiling at the generous hearts of Oliver's parents, Mai caressed his face lovingly and encouraged him to respond, "Thanks, Mum, I am sure that they will feel so blessed to find themselves as loved by you as I am. I am excited for you to meet them, because I think that even if they had nothing to do with finding Gene to bring him home you would adore them. But we have had a long day, and room service just delivered dinner for us to eat before we get some rest for the night. One of us will be in touch to finalize travel arrangement in the next couple of days, ok? And Mum, Dad I know it is the middle of the day there, but I think you both to go take a nap together, and just enjoy being together. I love you both," he said with tenderness in his voice as he returned Mai's comforting hugs and said goodnight to his parents, so they could all eat dinner and retire for the night themselves.
On the way to bed, Lin stopped abruptly and turned to both Mai and Naru and said, "I'm sorry I was so hesitant to trust in your shared vision before. Once we found Eugene exactly where you said that we would, I knew I needed to reassess the situation. Please allow me to assist you in any way you need me to, and if you should wish to share this projection skill and parts of your experience with me I will do my best to be less judgmental." He gave them both a small smile, before heading off to his own room for the evening and leaving the two staring at one another bemusedly before they too headed off to get a much needed rest.
